This week's snippets of automotive news include Nissan's vehicle-to-home charging tech, pizza deliveries of the future, Toyota's rivals and more.
Nissan vehicle-to-home charging:
Nissan demonstrated the potential of its vehicle-to-home charging technology on its CES stand. The tech enables an EV’s battery to store and provide power to owners, so the firm used a new Leaf to operate the coffee machines at CES. For added value, Nissan used a 3D printer to print photos onto the frothy milky bit at the top.
Pizza deliveries of the future:
It seems that among the biggest early beneficiaries of autonomous cars could be fans of takeaway pizza. At CES, Pizza Hut was one of a number of partners that have signed up to work with Toyota on autonomous delivery machines such as the e-Palette. Meanwhile, Ford’s CES stand featured the autonomous Ford Fusion that has been trialling Domino’s Pizza deliveries.
Toyota rivals:
Toyota president Akio Toyoda says the firm’s rivals are no longer just car companies. Speaking at CES, Toyoda noted that Toyota made weaving looms before switching to cars, and said: “Our competitors no longer just make cars. Companies like Google, Apple and Facebook are what keep me up at night. After all, we didn’t start off making cars, either.”
EV's are the topic of the moment:
Toyoda also commented on the industry’s fixation with EVs. He said: “Electric vehicles are what everyone is talking about these days – well, that and Prince Harry’s engagement.”
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